10:30 LRN Newscast August 4

A statewide indoor mask mandate for everyone five years old and up went into effect today. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says this includes vaccinated individuals, because every bit of mitigation helps…
cut 9 (08) “…un vaccinated”
Unvaccinated individuals account for 90 percent of all new COVID cases.

Physicians at Ochsner Health are working to dispel common myths and misinformation about COVID vaccines, especially among women of childbearing age. OBGYN Dr. Jane Martin, who was vaccinated for COVID during her own pregnancy, says the data shows vaccines are safe for pregnant women…
Cut 4 (11) “…outcomes.”

In-person job fairs hosted by the Louisiana Workforce Commission are being held across the state today. It’s part of the Back to Work Louisiana Campaign. L-W-C Secretary Ava Cates says if you are not qualified for a particular job, there are training programs to get you certified…
cut 14 (11) “….that job”
For more information go to Louisiana works-dot net.

The tropics have been quiet lately, but NOAA’s climate prediction center still predicts an above-average hurricane season with 15 to 21 named storms. Lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Matthew Rosencrans…
cut 3 (10) “….five”
The season has already produced five named storms and one hurricane.

9:30 LRN Newscast August 4

A statewide indoor mask mandate is back in place today as Louisiana leads the nation for the number of new COVID cases per capita. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says those who are vaccinated are about eight times less likely to be infected in the first place…
cut 8 (10) “…with Delta”
Kanter says that’s why vaccinated individuals are also being asked to mask up while indoors.

The U-S Senate is working towards approving a one-point-two trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that Senator Bill Cassidy says will mean six billion dollars in funding for Louisiana. Cassidy says that’s enough money to fund several important highway construction projects…
cut 12 (13) “….Florida parishes”

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is hosting several in-person job fairs today as the state looks to return unemployed workers to the workforce…
cut 3 (31) “….I’m Matt Doyle”

The CDC has issued a new 60-day eviction ban. The ban applies to counties or parishes experiencing extremely high levels of COVID like Louisiana. State officials over 60-thousand households have applied for rental assistance, but only eleven thousand have been approved.

8:30 LRN Newscast August 4

Louisiana’s statewide indoor mask mandate goes into effect today. The governor announced on Monday that he was reinstating the mask mandate as hospitals are struggling to keep up with the growing number of COVID patients. Vaccinated people are not excluded from the mask mandate. Matt Doyle has more…
cut 2 (31) “….I’m Matt Doyle”

And the state has a record number of people hospitalized as a result of COVID, 2,112. The state also reported 59 new COVID deaths yesterday.

Pregnant women are among the group of individuals who are hesitant to get the COVID vaccine. Research previously indicated among non-COVID vaccines during pregnancy, that the mother will pass along protective antibodies through the placenta and breast milk to their child. Ochsner Baptist OBGYN Doctor Jane Martin says data also shows it’s the same for COVID vaccinations.
Cut 6 (09) “…breast milk.”
Ochsner healthcare providers say they are seeing an increase of younger unvaccinated patients along with pregnant patients who do not have a preexisting condition, being admitted to the hospital.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is holding in-person job fairs in every major metro area of the state today. L-W-C Secretary Ava Cates says job seekers should bring a resume, I-D, and any certifications or other professional credentials…
cut 15 (07) “…best face”
For more informaation go to la-works-dot-net.

7:30 LRN Newscast August 4

The statewide mask mandate takes effect today and both the unvaccinated and vaccinated will have to return to masking up while indoors. Many vaccinated individuals question why they have to wear a mask again. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says there’s growing evidence that vaccinated individuals who get COVID can spread the virus…
Cut 7 (08) “…days later.”
The number of people hospitalized in Louisiana due to COVID has reached an all-time high and the state health department reported 59 more COVID deaths yesterday.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the Infrastructure bill that Senators are working to pass contains over six billion dollars in funding that would go to Louisiana over a five-year period. Cassidy says the legislation also contains three-point-five billion dollars in flood mitigation assistance grants…
cut 11 (08) “…our state”

Ochsner Health is trying to help dispel vaccine misinformation for women of childbearing age. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office says two juveniles were killed in a car crash just after midnight near Madisonville. Two other juveniles were also inside the vehicle and they were rushed to a nearby hospital. Names of the victims or a cause of the crash have not been released.

6:45 LRN Sportscast August 4

LSU quarterback Myles Brennan announced on Twitter that his surgery to repair his broken non-throwing arm went well and he thanked everyone for all of the prayers. With the Tigers set to report for preseason camp tomorrow, Coach Ed Orgeron has announced Max Johnson as the starting QB and called Johnson a great championship quarterback. Brody Miller covers LSU for the Athletic and says the unfortunate injury to Brennan should really benefit Johnson…
cut 19 (19) “….situation”
Freshman Garrett Nussmeier goes into camp as the team’s primary backup.

The Saints have brought back linebacker Kwon Alexander on a one-year deal that’s worth a reported three million dollars. The 27-year-old played in 12 games for the Black and Gold last year and had 57 tackles. His season ended on Christmas Day when he tore his Achilles tendon.

The Saints had their first full padded practice yesterday and rookie linebacker Pete Werner went through drills with the first team. Coach Sean Payton says Werner looks really smart and he’s picked things up quickly. Werner believes he’s getting better every day…
cut 18 (19) “…a little bit

Lafayette’s Mondo Duplantis is really good at what he does. The former LSU star won the gold medal in the men’s pole vault as he cleared the bar at 19-feet, nine inches.

6:30 LRN Newscast August 4

Governor John Bel Edwards’s indoor mask mandate takes effect today, one day after the state set a record for the number of COVID patients in the hospital. Health officials continue to encourage everyone over the age of 12 to get the COVID vaccine and that includes pregnant women. Ochsner Baptist OBGYN Doctor Jane Martin got vaccinated during her own pregnancy. She says she made that decision after seeing many pregnant women hospitalized with COVID and data confirming the increased risk…
cut 5 (11) “….same age”

The U-S Senate is working on a one-point-two trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that Senator Bill Cassidy says will send six billion dollars to Louisiana to improve roads and bridges….
cut 10 (07) “….raising taxes”
Senators have proposed using 200-million dollars in money already earmarked for pandemic relief to help pay for this legislation.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is hosting job fairs in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Houma, Monroe, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Alexandria, and Shreveport today. Matt Doyle has more…
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

4:45 LRN Sportscast August 3

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan has suffered an injury to his non-throwing arm and he underwent surgery today. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins has learned Brennan broke his humerus bone…
cut 6 (08) “…for him”
The Athletic’s Brody Miller reports Brennan suffered the injury this past weekend while fishing. Max Johnson is now set to be LSU’s starting Q-B.

Lafayette native and former LSU star Mondo Duplantis won a gold medal in pole vaulting at the Tokyo Olympics. The 21-year-old Duplantis won at a height of 19-feet, nine inches. He becomes the first current or former LSU athlete to win an individual gold medal in 85 years. He did so for the country of Sweden, which is the home country of his mother.

And gymnastic star Simone Biles returned to Olympic competition to win a bronze medal on the balance beam.

Former Falcon and new Saints running back Devonta Freeman says it’s surreal to be wearing the Black and Gold after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career in Atlanta. Back in 2017, Coach Sean Payton made a choking gesture towards Freeman during a game in 2017. But Freeman says they put the incident behind each other the next day…
cut 18 (19) “…was cool”
The Saints have also signed a couple of veteran cornerbacks, former New York Giant and Chicago Bear Pince Amukmara (ah-Moo-kah-MAIR-rah) and former Cincinnati Bengal and Green Bay Packer KeiVarae (kee-VAR-ay) Russell. Amukmara did not play last season.

LRN PM Newscall August 3 2021

The governor’s new indoor mask mandate means school children from five years and up will return to the classroom with face coverings. Brooke Thorington has more from the State Superintendent of Education.

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

____________________________________

Max Johnson enters preseason camp as the starting quarterback after Myles Brennan broke his non-throwing arm. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31)…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

______________________________________

The upcoming school year is days away and the Governor’s reinstated indoor mask mandate will require those ages five and up to wear face coverings. Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley says prior to this new executive order, his department advised each school system to enact its own policy.

Cut 3 (09) “…community.” 

According to 2021 LEAP assessments Brumley says it’s very clear that in-person learning is far more beneficial than virtual learning and he supports measures that will keep students in the physical classroom while also mitigating against COVID.

Cut 4 (10) “…access learning.” 

LEAP results will be released Wednesday. Brumley says they indicate students in grades 3 through 8 who attended in person scored mastery or above on English Language Arts and Math, their scores were 15-percent higher than students who attended virtually.

Cut 5 (09) “…our state.”

In addition to the pandemic, Louisiana students have also been impacted by hurricanes, but Brumley feels with both local and state initiatives that resilient students and residents will help them move beyond the setbacks.

__________________________

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan has suffered an injury to his non-throwing arm and Coach Ed Orgeron says the injury will require surgery. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins has learned Brennan broke his humerus bone…

Cut 6 (08) “…for him.” 

The Athletic’s Brody Miller reports Brennan suffered the injury while fishing. Max Johnson is now set to be LSU’s starting Q-B. Higgins says freshman Garrett Nussmeier is the only other healthy scholarship quarterback on the roster…

Cut 7 (10) “…Game 3” 

Brennan and Johnson were expected to have an intense competition for starting quarterback during preseason camp. This is Brennan’s fifth year at LSU, but there’s a lot of faith in Johnson, who won both his starts last season. Higgins knows Brennan is disappointed, but expect him to remain a big part of the team

Cut 8 (11) “…out there.”

___________________________

The statewide indoor mask mandate goes into effect tomorrow as the state sets an all-time high for COVID-related hospitalizations. Governor Edwards says just because the mandate doesn’t begin until tomorrow doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start masking up today.

Cut 9 (12) “…believe that”

Louisiana now has 2,112 COVID-related hospitalizations, the highest ever mark. Louisiana has the fastest per-capita growth in new COVID cases in the nation, reporting 47-hundred new cases today. 59 COVID-related deaths were also reported today, the highest number since mid-January.

Edwards says the enforcement provision of the mask mandate is the same that it was when the state last had the mandate in late April.

Cut 10 (09) “..through this.”

The mandate appears to be more of an effort to reaffirm the importance of masking than it is an effort to force people to wear a mask.

Cut  11 (10) “…they’re not.”  

The mandate is set to expire on September 1st.

________________________________________________

Tangipahoa Parish ranks second in the nation for new coronavirus cases per capita when compared to over counties or parishes. That’s according to the New York Times tracker map. President of the North Oaks Health System Michele Sutton says their I-C-U units and emergency rooms are packed with COVID patients, making it difficult to care for others who do not have COVID

Cut 12 (12) “…put em in” 

Sutton says their staff is also seeing deaths of young people as a result of COVID, including a 24-year-old unvaccinated person…

Cut 13 (10) “…has changed”

Sutton is also concerned about hospital workers’ morale as most of these severe COVID illnesses and deaths could have been prevented if the victims got vaccinated…

Cut 14 (10) “…need you”

9:30 LRN Newscast August 3

Starting tomorrow, an indoor statewide mask mandate will go into effect in Louisiana for everyone five years old and up. It’s in response to a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that the governor says is threatening the ability of hospitals to deliver care. Louisiana Restaurant Association President Stan Harris supports the executive order that will be in place for the rest of August…
cut 4 (08) “….venue”
Health officials are concerned about the increase they’ve seen in the number of serious COVID cases among children. Children’s Hospital Chief Academic Officer Doctor Mark Kline says there’s a myth that only children with preexisting conditions are at risk of severe cases…
Cut 9 (10) “…unit.”

As more and more are diagnosed with COVID due to the Delta variant after the initial infection, some see lasting effects. Chief of Infectious Diseases at LSU Health New Orleans Dr. Julio Figueroa says if you are in the process of recovering from COVID, listen to your body and take it slow.
Cut 13 (10) “…of things.”

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan has suffered an injury to his non-throwing arm and Coach Ed Orgeron says the injury will require surgery. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins has learned Brennan broke his humerus bone…
cut 6 (08) “…for him”
The Athletic’s Brody Miller reports Brennan suffered the injury this past weekend while fishing. Max Johnson is now set to be LSU’s starting Q-B.

8:30 LRN Newscast August 3

In response to the fourth surge of COVID019, Governor John Bel Edwards is reinstating a statewide indoor mask mandate that will go into effect tomorrow. The executive order has the support of several business groups, including the Louisiana Restaurant Association. L-R-A President Stan Harris says business groups are especially concerned about Louisiana’s rapidly shrinking hospital capacity.
Cut 5 (09) “…state.”
The number of COVID patients in the hospital is 1,984, which is nearly a record. Children’s Hospital Chief Academic Officer Doctor Mark Kline says in the last month they’ve had as many as 20 kids amitted for COVID at a given time…
cut 8 (13) “….seven”

If you’ve been diagnosed with COVID and in the process of recovering health officials say the virus impacts people differently…
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan is out indefinitely after injuring his non-throwing arm. Coach Ed Orgeron says surgery will be required to help the injury heal. Brennan was set to battle Max Johnson for starting Q-B duties, but now Johnson looks to be the starter for the Tigers who report for camp on Thursday.